Forecast

State's Attorney: cop's deadly force justified

Daniel Tepfer
| on July 11, 2014

A Bridgeport police detective has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of an armed man outside a fish store in April 2013.

Stamford State's Attorney David Cohen, who had been appointed to investigate the case, found that Detective Christopher Borona's use of deadly forced was justified by law when he killed Bryan Stukes on April 1, 2013.

According to the investigative report, Borona had been visiting the owner of a fish market on Pequonnock Street when he was told Stukes was outside the store pointing a rifle at another man. Borona ordered Stukes to drop the gun and when Stukes refused, Borona shot him in the leg. As Stukes then fled with the gun, Borona shot him in the upper back, the report states.

"I appreciate the thorough investigation by State's Attorney David Cohen and agree with his conclusions," said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. "No officer ever wants to take a life. However, there are times that officers are forced to take action to protect the lives of the public and their own lives.

"Detective Borona faced an immediate threat with an armed suspect pointing a rifle at civilians and then at him. He is an outstanding officer and this situation brings home the type of danger and personal sacrifice our officers regularly face in protecting the citizens of Bridgeport."

Cohen was appointed to the case because Borona has been a key investigator in a number of high-profile homicide cases in the city and has worked closely with the Bridgeport state attorney's office.

According to Cohen's report, at the time of the shooting, Stukes had an ongoing dispute with a man who he had been targeting because the man is gay.

On April 1, the report states Stukes confronted his intended victim outside the fish store. The intended victim later told State Police, "If he (Stukes) had pulled the trigger, my head would have probably been across the street." Stukes was about to shoot the man when Borona intervened and ordered Stukes to drop the loaded rifle. When Stukes instead trained his gun on the detective, Borona shot Stukes in the leg, the report states.

Stukes, with Borona behind, then ran the few feet around the corner onto Benham Avenue, where he tripped and fell on the sidewalk, the report states. The rifle flew forward, slid across the sidewalk and came to rest between a utility pole and the curb. Stukes got up and continued to run without the gun.

Unaware Stukes did not still have the rifle, the report states Borona fired again hitting Stukes in the upper back.

Stukes then collapsed more than 200 feet away.

"It is entirely reasonable that dealing with an armed fleeing felon, in an area where there were numerous bystanders, that Detective Borona feared that Stukes continued to pose a threat," Cohen stated.